Growing marijuana outdoors is one of the traditional methods of growers and cultivators in order to produce recreational and medicinal herbs, and this technique has been widely used for over thousands of years ago. Growing cannabis indoors is also a great way to produce yields but it has been proven to be costly. This is probably the reasons why a lot of growers choose to take care of cannabis outdoors especially that a small outdoor garden can have the capacity to yield a lot of quality cannabis without spending too much monetary investment. If you happen to have a sunny spot on your balcony, private yard, rooftop, or terrace, then growing cannabis outdoors can be a great choice for you.
There are a lot of ways that you can try in growing cannabis outdoors. There are some growers who choose to simply plant seeds straight to an open ground, while some growers prefer to grow their weeds within pots or planters.
How to Grow Weeds in Pots
Understand the Cloning Process
Using female seeds that have already been cloned is one of the easiest ways to start growing weeds in pots. This cloning process always involves germination and you have to make sure that you get rid of those unwanted male plants. Another alternative method is to simply purchase female seeds or cloned marijuana plants so that you can avoid the complexity and hassle of cloning all by yourself. You can grow your female seeds or cloned plants either indoors or outdoors using a yard or a tent. However, growing weeds indoors is a lot more expensive since you are required to invest a lot of electricity since they aren’t being supplied with natural light. On the other hand, if you choose to do this outdoors, you have to make sure that you live in an area that has lots of sunlight.
Make sure that your Plant is Protected
There are a lot of precautions and important things that you need to take in need before you decide to grow your cannabis in pots. First, you need to have a good location which is private and legal. Privacy is important because it will protect you from neighbors that tend to be nosy and this will protect your plants from being damaged by children or animals. Putting up a fence is a very nice idea. A height of eight feet is ideal around the space that you will use as a garden plot. In order to lessen visibility, you can plant among those lush greenery, but most definitely not shrubs because your plants will be taller than the shrubs. Choose a spot where sunlight is sufficient.
Find the Right Clone for your Plants
One of the most important steps in growing weeds is to find the clone, which is simply cuttings from their identical mother or from the female seeds. This is readily available at legal pot shops. This usually costs around $15 each. Be sure to know what specific strain you want to harvest before doing the cloning process. If you want to produce yields with a higher amount of THC, using for Sativa strains can be an ideal choice.
The Planting Phase
Now that you have your clone, it is now time to plant your cannabis. Your clone will usually come in cubes which measure around 3 inches. Make sure that you use a pot that measures around 8 inches and fertile potting soil. Placing small rocks before pouring the soil is a good technique so that water can easily be drained through the holes of the pot. You can then fill the pot with the soil and proceed in adding water to it. Be sure to compress the soil properly around the hole. You also need to make sure that you keep your clone within a shaded area for a few days until they get adjusted. Continue to water and feed them until fruition comes.
Growing Cannabis Outdoors in Pots Vs. Open Soil
Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of growing cannabis in pots and in the soil ground
Growing cannabis outdoors in pots
Pros
A lot of people might already be aware that growing cannabis outdoors in pots means plants are easily transportable. If you live in an area with occasional extreme weather, you can easily carry your plants to sheltered places when you grow your plants in pots. Another advantage of using pots is that you can control your plant’s growth rate and size, which can be very helpful if concealment is one of your issues.
Cons
Making use of pots can also sometimes be undesirable because it restricts the growth of the plant, thus, reducing the potential yields and overall health of the plant. However, you can still use huge pots for outdoor cultivation but if one of your goals is to maximize the growth of your plants, you should not be restricting their access to the soil. Another disadvantage is that when you plant your weeds in pots, this means it is easily transportable and there is a big chance that other less well-intentioned people steal your plants.
Growing Cannabis Outdoors in Open Soil
Pros
Obviously, when you choose to grow your cannabis in open soil, they can have full, unrestricted access to all the nutrients and moisture that are essential for your cannabis. Since the roots of your plants can freely grow, they can fulfill their water requirements from the groundwater, and thus, can result in much healthier yields. Another advantage is that the set-up cost of the overall process can be reduced. Although buying pots does not necessarily cost a lot, keeping all the costs at a minimum is still a good habit.
Cons
Growing your cannabis in open soil simply means that they are not transportable, and although this can be an advantage because of theft issue, this idea can also be a great disadvantage. Plants that are non-transportable can be an easy threat from weather and season like thunderstorms, floods, gales, and your plants may not survive them unless you have wire cages or screens to protect them.